Wildlife Safari Specialists

Brazils’ Pantanal region is home to an immense variety of wildlife, from jaguars to jabiru storks, making the Pantanal one of the worldsa unmissable wildlife destinations.

Pantanal Infrmation

While the Amazon gets the press coverage, the Pantanal is a much better place to see wildlife. The dense foliage of the Amazon makes it difficult to observe the animals, unlike the open marshes of the Pantanal. These marshes are home to an immense variety of life, from jaguars to jabiru storks, making the Pantanal is an unmissable wildlife destination.

It is the world’s largest wetland (twenty times the size of the Everglades in Florida), covering 210,000 sq km. Less than 100,000 sq km of this is in Bolivia and Paraguay; the rest is in Brazil, split between the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.The Pantanal has very few people and no towns and has a principal access road -the Transpantaneira. This raised dirt road is sectioned by small wooden bridges and ends 145km south of Poconé, at Porto Jofre. The national park (Parque Nacional do Pantanal Matogrossense) occupies 1,350 sq km in the southwest of the region, but most of the Pantanal is privately owned. Cooperation between ecotourism and the landowners in the region (mostly cattle ranchers) has contributed to the sustainable conservation of the environment. By providing ranchers with an income that encourages their coexistence with wildlife, it covers the shortfall created by the seasonal flooding of the area, which would otherwise be covered by more intensive (and hence more destructive) ranching efforts. The national park and three smaller private nature reserves nearby were given Unesco World Heritage listing in 2000.

The best time to visit the Pantanal wetlands is from June to September. The heavier rains and flooding have passed, bringing with it drier weather and wildlife that needs to congregate a little more around the riverbanks. You will explore the rivers and the land with our expert guides, looking for everything from jaguars and capybaras, to caiman and river otters. As throughout the rest of the year, birding is great and it is possible to see hyacinth macaws, as well as toucans, roseate spoonbills and the magnificent jabiru stork. Our Pantanal safaris start and end at Cuiaba Airport (airport reference M Rondon Cuiaba – Brazil CGB)There are frequent daily flights to Cuiaba from Brazils international airports:Sao Paulo (Guarulhos International (GRU) or Rio De Janeiro (Rio De Janeiro International Airport (GIG)

We operate our Pantanal safaris between June and September as per the group safari itinerary detailed below. This amazing value group safari is lead by our CEO wildlife conservationist Will Fox

Day 1 – June 19th You will be met on arrival in Cuiaba airport and transfer to the Hotel Deville, where you will have time to rest and recuperate after your international flight. Your stay is on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 –June 20thFollowing breakfast at the Hotel Deville we will leave at 08:00 accompanied by an English-speaking naturalist guide and transfer approximately 2-2.5 hrs to Pouso Alegre, where we will stay for one night.The lodge is famous for its excellent mammal viewing and birding and has a long entrance drive (8km) that yields good wildlife viewing, with species such as Red Brocket Deer, Bare-faced Curassows, Chestnut-bellied Guans, Brazilian Tapir, and even Giant Anteaters.During your time here you are able to wander in the grounds close to the lodge, where there is excellent birding and there will be an early evening drive revisiitng the wildlife-rich driveway.Overnight at Pouso Alegre (B/L/D)

Day 3 – June 21stAfter breakfast, we will depart in an open-sided (roofed), safari truck and travel 110 km to Porto Jofre, which is located at the end of the Transpantaneira road, stopping along the way for game viewing.Upon arrival at the port we will board boats and travel slowly upstream for 44.7 km to Jaguar Retreat. The ideal Jaguar search speed is 22-29 km/h, and dependent on sightings, we aim to be at the lodge in time for lunch. Your first schedule boat game viewing trip along the river begins at 16:00 followed by dinner at the lodge.After dinner there will be an evening wildlife lecture, to explain a little more about the local eco-system and wildlife.Overnight at Jaguar Retreat (B/L/D)

Day 4, 5 & 6 – June 22nd through June 24thThree days dedicated to game viewing and birding. Jaguars and Giant Otters are at the top of the wish list, but as ever we aim to stop for everything we find.You can enjoy two x four-hour boat outings each day on the Three Brothers River and other channels in the northern and central part of Jaguarland.Overnight at Jaguar Retreat (B/L/D)

Day 7 – June 25thFollowing breakfast we will return by boat to Porto Jofre and thereafter a road transfer to SouthWild Pantanal Lodge in open safari truck. We aim to arrive for lunch and time to settle in, before a two-hour afternoon outing on the wildlife-rich Pixaim River. After dinner, we’ll take a one-hour night drive using a spotlight to find wildlife. SouthWild Pantanal is the only location in the world where there is such a high probability of seeing habituated, wild Ocelots up close. It was the location that National Geographic’s Earth Live used to film Ocelots https://youtu.be/QSiF8fPE5Y0Overnight at SouthWild Pantanal (B/L/D)

Day 8 and 9 – June 26th through June 27thThe lodge benefits from two wildlife observation towers: The first is located in the riverine forest along the riverbank, and the second being located in woodland that offers a unique, eye-level view of an active nest of Jabiru Storks. You can again enjoy boat-based game viewing each day on the Pixaim River, each trip being around 2.5 hrs.After dinner, you are able to use the lodges Ocelot blind to wait for these secretive creatures to appear, or take a night drive in a safari truck.Overnight at SouthWild Pantanal (B/L/D)

Day 10 – June 28thAfter breakfast we will depart at 06:30 in a closed, air-conditioned vehicle to drive 3-3.5 hrs back to Cuiaba for you return flight. Arriving at Cuiabá Airport at approximately 10:00 Note: A check-in time of 70 mins before your flight time is considered locally, to be quite early for check-in!